Conspirator motivated by greed, money: U.S. judge

A Canadian found to have been “solely motivated by greed and money” in connection with a conspiracy to export U.S. goods with “military and non-military uses” to Iran has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.

According to a news release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice, Ghobad Ghasempour was handed the penalty on Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

The 38-year-old was arrested March 28, 2017 as he entered the U.S. from South Surrey.

Investigation by Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, Calif. revealed that Ghasempour “had used front companies in China and co-conspirators in Iran, Turkey and Portugal to illegally export restricted technology products to Iran,” the release states.

The activity took place between 2011 and 2017, according to officials.

U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted at the sentencing hearing that those goods were going to “the Department of Defense for Iran – the very group that would be the most harmful to the United States.”

Ghasempour pleaded guilty in April 2018. Monday, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison.